Since the popular series about the modern history of the British royal family began in 2016, it has been watched by 73 million households worldwide. The historic drama is now set to release its fourth season this year, but the three before it have created many memorable moments. Here at Fulton Umbrellas, we decided to compile a list of the most impactful moments across the seasons. We analysed the search terms for each of the main events and recorded the increase in searches on Google. We then measured the data two weeks pre- and post-release to gauge the impact of each moment.
Margaret wears the crown in season one
In season one, it was not the story of the Queen that captured everyone’s attention. It was her younger sister Margaret and her love life that people were interested in. Peter Townsend was a divorced captain that Margaret wanted to marry in 1953. However, as she was under the age of 25, she had to get permission from the Queen to marry him, who was in turn caught between her family and her Government as the prime minister at the time, Winston Churchill, said that it was unlikely that the cabinet would agree to the match. Townsend was then sent away to work in Belgium.
The couple was reunited in 1955 but were still denied marriage. At the time, Prime Minister Anthony Eden said that if Margaret married him, she would be stripped of her royal privileges and income. Then in October the same year, she made a statement that ended it all, confirming she would never marry him. Margaret did finally marry in 1960 to magazine photographer Antony Armstrong Jones.
Viewers were hooked, with many turning to Google to search for more information on the “Margaret and Townsend affair”. This search term soared by 1,483% in the 14 days after the season aired, showing the little sister stole the show.
Marburg Files revealed in season two
Season two’s most searched for scene came from a historical moment not many people know about. Indeed, the public did not know about it at time. The Marburg Papers were papers found that showed over 60 documents of correspondence between Edward VIII and Nazi high command. The entire volumes were only finally released in 1957. The episode in the season depicts the Queen’s first response to the documents, as Edward tries to re-enter the public life after his abdication in 1936. Searches for “Marburg Files” rose by 2,000%, which suggests that this was not a well-known thing and people wanted to know more.
Charles has his moment in season three
The most searched-for moment in season three was when Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales. This was important at the time, as the 20-year-old Charles was taken away from his studies at Cambridge University to spend some time in Wales and learn the Welsh language in the hope that this would ease tensions between Wales and England.
In the show, he becomes sympathetic to the idea Wales should be more independent and talks about Wales having a national identity in his investiture speech. In the series, the Queen is not pleased with this because he took a political stance, something royals should not do.
Searches for Charles’ speech in Wales went up 100% after the episode. This may be because people wanted to see the speech in real life was as revolutionary and emotional as the one in the show, or to simply read a translation of the Welsh speech. It’s no surprise that this moment was so keenly searched for after the episode aired – it was not only a historic moment, but one that displayed a daring side to the future King. His words were not simply that of a royal family member doing the duty asked of him, but of a man going beyond that and standing among the Welsh people, seeking acceptance at a time when anti-English sentiment was strong in the country. Prince Charles did not just deliver a speech to the people. He delivered one in support of the people, making this as a momentous moment.
The upcoming season
Even though season four has not been released yet, it is already making an impact. The introduction of Princess Diana to the season has made search terms related to her rise. As the real woman made headlines in her own life, actress Emma Corrin has also made headlines for her uncanny resemblance to Diana, who she will be portraying in the show. Searches for the actress went up 200 per cent.
The iconic wedding dress Diana wore has been recreated for the series with The Crown’s costume designer, Amy Roberts, collaborating with the original designer, David Emanuel, to recreate the dress perfectly. Across the previous three seasons, Google searches for the most impactful moments in the series have increased on average by a minimum of 200%. We’re certain that internet interest for Princess Diana’s wedding dress will see a similar surge in the two weeks after season four airs.
We hope this blog has intrigued you to find out more about the different events in each season of The Crown. We are sure that the upcoming season four will bring more impactful moments, including Gillian Anderson’s depiction of Margaret Thatcher and the Falklands War.
Impactful moments throughout the season
| Season | Searches Increased By |
| Season 1 | |
| Margaret and Townsend affair | 1483% |
| Eden Prime Minister | 639% |
| Great Smog 1952 | 1787% |
| Season 2 | |
| Marburg Files | 2000% |
| Princess Margaret engagement | 425% |
| Macmillan Prime Minister | 503% |
| Season 3 | |
| Charles speech in Wales | 100% |
| Princess Margaret US tour | 100% |
| Princess Margaret divorce | 339% |